Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s captor, a former Bolivian general, has died at the age of 84.
Gary Prado Salmon was named a national hero in Bolivia after he led the military operation to capture and execute the revolutionary in the country in 1967.
Alongside Fidel Castro, Guevara was a major leader in the Cuban communist movement and was shot dead a day after his capture by order of the then right-wing military Bolivian government.
Mr Salmon’s team, known as the Bolivian Rangers, were trained by the US Green Berets, who were told to prepare locals for a fight against guerrilla tactics in the region.
Since 1981, Mr Salmon had been in a wheelchair, after being accidentally shot in the spine by another officer.
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Writing on social media, Mr Salmon’s son Gary Prado Arauz, wrote: “He was accompanied by his wife and children.
“He left us a legacy of love, honesty and mettle. He was an amazing person.”
He added: “For him capturing Che was not the most important thing he did in his life – rather, it was to contribute to making the armed forces a democratic institution that would respect the constitution and laws.”
The former general had been in hospital since April suffering from health complications and was receiving treatment.
This story originally appeared on Skynews
